Through the Photographer's Lens
by ee-ii-ee-ii-oo
Summary: The milestones of a relationship told through a series of paparazzi encounters. How will Juliette and Avery deal with the pressure? A light hearted future fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Through the Photographer's Lens**

**This is the first chapter of a series that will focus on milestones in Juliette and Avery's relationship and how they deal with a paparazzi attention. I needed to write something light after the last few angsty stories I've written (and after reading the latest spoilers). This did the trick. It will probably be about 3 chapters long. Enjoy. It's all sweet fluffiness!**

**Please review!**

* * *

_**Juliette Barnes' new mystery man**_

_Arriving at LAX in a simple t-shirt and jeans, country superstar Juliette Barnes, who has recently rebounded from a slew of scandals to once again sit at the top of the country charts, walked hand in hand with a mystery man on Tuesday night._

_The pair, obviously a couple, didn't speak to photographers as they made their way to the waiting SUV._

_Having previously been connected to NFL star Sean Butler and media mogul Charlie Wentworth, the man in the leather jacket is an unknown._

_Our team has done some digging and can reveal the identity of the man to be songwriter and producer Avery Barkley. The two have a history, according to our Nashville insiders. The sources say that the couple is a common sight around Music City, and have been almost inseparable since they started dating almost a year ago._

_No comment has been made by Barnes about the relationship._

Avery finished reading, rolled his eyes and tossed his iPad on the coffee table in front of the sofa where he sat. Looking out the window, he saw the sun rising over the Southern California skyline. Sure it was gorgeous, but he really couldn't stand Los Angeles. The paparazzi that had greeted them at the airport was one of the main reasons.

"Hey!"

The sound of Juliette's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked up to find her walking into the living room wrapped in a big fluffy robe. "Morning, sleeping beauty." She leaned down for her good morning kiss, and he gladly obliged. "The way you were snoring, I thought you might sleep til noon."

"I do not snore!" she said as she stood upright and placed her hands on her hips with feigned annoyance.

He snickered as he looked up at the death glare she was shooting at him. "You put truck drivers to shame. How a sound like that comes out of such a tiny person, I will never understand."

She plopped down at the end of the sofa, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at his head. "You're mean."

"And, yet, you still love me," he said with a wink.

"Yes, I do." She grabbed the iPad he had been reading earlier. When she saw the story, she groaned and shook her head. "How is this news? Us walking through an airport? And who is their source?!"

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter, babe. We knew staying in LA, rather than going straight home, that this might happen."

"I know." She put the ipad down and scooted closer to him, kissing his cheek. "It's a good thing you were holding my left hand, or else they would have gotten a glimpse of this thing," she said, holding out her hand and looking at her ring finger with a smile on her face. Even after a week she still hadn't gotten used to seeing the antique ring sparkle on her hand. She had told him not to worry about a ring when they first discussed marriage. He had surprised her with the gorgeous vintage piece that she found out had belonged to his great grandmother. It was stunning and fit like it was made for her. "Then it would have been a whole different story."

He wrapped his arms around her as she lay her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her and could tell that something was bothering her. "You know, we don't have to hide it."

"I know ... It's been easy so far," she said with a sigh. "I just want to stay in that bubble."

He took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "We've been in Hawaii for the past two weeks. Of course it was easy. But we can't stay hidden away forever."

A soft pout appeared on her lips and she glared at the iPad as if it was the reason people were interested in her love life. "I just ... When it does come out, the whole world is going to want to know all about the details and when the wedding is and I just want to keep everything simple and private. Quite frankly, it's none of their damn business."

He laughed at her stubborn streak and the whine in her voice. "Then you can tell then that when they ask." He decided it was time to change the subject. "So what is on your agenda today?"

She stood up and walked over to where the room service menu was sitting on a counter. "Glenn will be here at 11 and we've got phone interviews until 2. Then I've got a skype interview with Billboard at 3. After that, I'm clear." She turned back to him and smiled "We should go to dinner."

He raised his eyebrows at the suggestion. "You want to risk another media frenzy?"

"No," she grinned, clearly with an idea in her mind. "But we can get away with it if we get out of the city a bit. Maybe go up to Santa Barbara? Nice quiet romantic dinner near the beach, then maybe we can walk around a bit?"

"Sounds great."

* * *

They stepped out of the restaurant and out onto the sidewalk. It was a perfect late spring night and with the breeze blowing in from the Pacific Ocean nearby, the air was almost cool. Juliette snuggled into Avery's embrace, both for warmth and stability, as they had both indulged in a few glasses of wine during dinner. It really was the peace they were looking for and reminded them both of their vacation in Hawaii where they had been completely anonymous.

They were just half a block from where Bo was waiting with the car, when it happened.

First one photographer, then another with a video camera appeared seemingly out of no where from the street beside them. Three more appeared in front of them and a few more came up behind them. The flashbulbs were blinding and the barrage of questions about them annoyed them both and Avery felt Juliette tense up beside him. They both remained silent and continued to navigate the sidewalk. He kept a hand on her back and moved casually to the outside of the sidewalk, putting more distance between her and the photographers. Bo had seen the commotion and was quickly beside them to guide them the rest of the way to the car.

"Oh my God!" she said in shock as she placed her head on his shoulder after Bo slammed the door. "That was not supposed to happen. What the hell are they all doing this far outside of LA?"

Avery shook his head, still seeing spots in front of his eyes from all the camera flashes. "Someone must have tipped them off. Could have been the waiter or the hostess, who knows. Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine... Just surprised." She glanced down at her hands and froze. "What do you think the chances are that they didn't get a picture of my ring?"

"Ummm." He hesitated, knowing that it was probably the thing they had come for. It was the one thing they were trying to get a photo of for attention grabbing headlines. "Maybe they didn't get a clear one," he shrugged, knowing how unlikely that was.

Juliette rolled her eyes, and he could see that she was upset. "So much for keeping it to ourselves. I'll call Rayna when we get back to the hotel, warn her that the label might get some calls for comment. You'd better call your family."

He nodded, not really looking forward to that. He looked into her eyes, trying to reassure her. "It will be okay. We will deal with that later. For the rest of the trip back to LA, for the next hour and a half, it's just us." He leaned in to kiss her.

She pulled back, pushing her hand against his chest, her eyes suddenly full of lust. "Hold that thought for just a second." She leaned back and pushed the button that closed the privacy screen between them and Bo in the front seat, both of them ignoring the soft chuckle that the bodyguard let out as the screen rose. She leaned back over to Avery. "Can't waste a whole hour and a half," she whispered as she moved onto his lap, her fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt, the hem of her skirt moving north with his hands close behind.

* * *

They had hardly been back at the hotel five minutes before the chaos started. Juliette had just set her purse down when phone buzzed. It was a text message from Maddie Conrad: "It says on twitter ur engaged?! :)"

"Damn it," she muttered, rolling her eyes at how fast word had spread. She figured she had a couple of hours. "Cat's out of the bag," Juliette called to Avery from the master bedroom of the suite.

He appeared in the doorway, surprise on his face. "You called Rayna already?"

"Nope, aparently the gossip sites were on top of it. They already have it up." she said as she pulled the pictures up on her phone. "And yes, the picture is clear and the ring is front and center. Maddie just texted me. I'm sure I will get a call from Rayna soon, though."

"What are they saying?"

_**Juliette Barnes engaged to producer boyfriend?**_

_While no official confirmation has come from Juliette Barnes or her publicist, all appearances indicated that the superstar will be taking a walk down the aisle at some point in the near future._

_Our cameras caught Barnes and her producer boyfriend Avery Barkley in Santa Barbara earlier tonight, where we are told that the pair enjoyed a romantic dinner at an upscale restaurant. The vintage diamond ring on her finger caught the light as they walked to their waiting car._

_We have reached out to both Barnes' publicist and her record label, Highway 65 and are awaiting response._

_Whether she actually makes it down the aisle this time, is something only time will tell._

"Of course they bring up Sean," she grumbled, loudly tossing her phone on the nightstand by the bed.

"It will be okay, babe," he said reassuringly. At that moment, Avery's phone started to beep. He barely had time to see who had sent him a text before a call came in. He grimaced and looked up at Juliette as he answered. "Hi, Mom. ... Yes, I did. I told you I was going to. ... I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up. We were just keeping it between the two of us ... no we weren't hiding it from you. ..."

Juliette chuckled as he walked out of the room, clearly getting a talking to from his mother. She sighed, thinking about what her own mother would say about all this. She'd probably be in love with him too, she thought to herself. Glenn let himself into the suite into the suite at that moment, already on the phone, and she knew he was talking to her publicist. A single wave to her and he continued his conversation.

Her phone soon joined back in the chaos, buzzing against the wood of the nightstand, and she looked down to see Rayna's name pop up on the screen. "Hey, Rayna. What's new?"

Juliette heard a scoff from the other end of the line. "What's new? You tell me." The country legend sounded tough, but it was obvious that there was a smile on her face. "No heads up about this?"

"I'm really sorry," she said. "The pictures were taken less than two hours ago. I thought I had more time to call you. Glenn is working with my publicist on a statement for the media."

"That's good," Rayna paused and her voice took on a softer feel. "Look, honey, don't worry about this. It's not a scandal. It's a happy thing. Sure, you've caused a bit of a media frenzy, but it's okay. You should be excited!" Juliette smiled, grateful for Rayna's support as she heard Maddie and Daphne in the background begging their mom to put the phone on speaker. A few clicks later and Rayna spoke again. "We're all here, Juliette. The girls wanted to say hi."

"Hey girls!" Juliette said, genuinely glad to talk to them.

Maddie wasted no time begging for information. "How did he propose?!"

"Yeah, tell us!" Daphne echoed.

"Well ... " Juliette paused, thinking through her answer. "We were on the beach at sunset. It was just the two of us and he got down on one knee and asked me. It was really romantic."

The story was met with an "awe!" from the girls who then started quizzing Juliette about the wedding details until Rayna finally sent them on their way to get ready for bed since it was late. Taking the phone off speaker, she quietly called Juliette on her story. "When you get back to Nashville, I want to know the real proposal story."

She couldn't believe Rayna caught on to that so quickly. Laughing, Juliette admitted there was more to the story. "Yeah, I wasn't going to tell that with your 9 year old listening."

"Good call! I'll talk to you soon."

She giggled as she hung up, at the same time Avery walked back into the room looking a little worse for wear. "What's wrong with you?"

He paced around a little bit, clearly overwhelmed after talking to his family. "Well I had to make my mother stop crying even though she is very excited, then my dad gave me the third degree of course. Then mom got back on the phone and started talking about wedding plans. You'll have to call her tomorrow, by the way," he added. "Then I hung up and had mulitple text messages from my sister."

"Which one?"

"All three!" Juliette couldn't help but roll her eyes as he continued. "Andrea was not happy to find out that I got Nona's ring, Allison was just like dad, as usual, and Ada couldn't have been more excited."

Juliette smiled at the mention of Avery's twin sister. "She always has been my favorite." While she hadn't spent too much time with any of them, Ada had spent a week with them earlier in the year and the two had become closer. His older sisters and father were a whole different story. Juliette really did like Avery's mother, though she felt like the older woman worried a little too much about her baby boy.

"Me too," he smiled, "but don't ever repeat that! Did Rayna call?"

"Yep. Bucky is working with the team on a statement for the label to send out after Glenn sends ours out." She got a mischievious look on her face before continuing. "Then the girls got on the phone and wanted to know all the details about how you proposed." She could barely keep from laughing as she watched his eyes go wide.

"You, um, didn't tell them, did you?"

"Of course I didn't!" she said with a roll of her eyes. "You think I'm going to tell my boss' 9- and 14-year-old daughters that, in reality, we were both completely naked in an outdoor tub surrounded by bubbles when you proposed?" she winked at him as she moved to take off her shoes. "If anyone asks, it was on the beach at sunset and you got down on one knee. Classic and romantic."

"I like the reality better," he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her from behind.

She turned in his embrace and pressed her lips to his. "So did I," she mumbled into the kiss, "but that really is for just the two of us."

"Yep," he responded, still kissing her while moving her slowly toward the bed.

Across the room, a throat was cleared loudly. Juliette pulled away from the kiss, looking over Avery's shoulder at her manager standing in the wide open doorway. "Can I help you?"

"Sorry," Glenn said, not the least bit embarrassed at what he had interrupted. He was used to it after a year. "But I just got off the phone with your publicist and we decided to hold off until the morning to send out a short statement. Let people specutlate overnight, then just put it all out there in the morning."

"Sounds great. You can just shut the door on your way out," she said impatiently and without a hint of subtlty. She watched as they shut the door, then looked back up into her fiance's eyes. "Now where were we?"

* * *

_**It's official: Juliette Barnes to wed producer boyfriend**_

_Juliette Barnes' publicity team has put out an official statement regarding the story that broke last night when Barnes was spotted wearing a diamond ring on her left hand while leaving a restaurant with her beau in Santa Barbara._

_Official Statement:_  
_"Juliette Barnes and Avery Barkley are pleased to announce their engagement. The couple has known each other for nearly two years and plan to wed within the year and are asking for privacy during this time."_

_Looks like wedding bells are set to ring for the Nashville-based pair. No word on when the nuptials will take place, though our sources are saying that late fall is the likely timing of the planned event._

_Congratulations to the pair._

* * *

So ... that's one milestone. Is the wedding next? Review and let me know your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Through the Photographer's Lens**

Chapter 2

Still own nothing. This is again a happy Juliette/Avery piece. Not sure where we will stand after tonight's finale, but I think we may need soemthing to make us smile. hope this can help...

Also, Yay Season 3!

* * *

The soft hum of the plane's engine filled the air as the three women settled in for the flight to New York City.

"Thanks for inviting me Juliette!" Maddie Conrad could hardly contain her excitement. "I've never been to New York without Mom. And you know how she can be."

The bride-to-be looked up from the magazine she was browsing through. "She just worries about you."

"I wish she'd stop it."

Juliette smiled at the younger woman, remembering what it was like to be a teenager. Only she'd never had an over protective mother. Just exactly the opposite in fact. She wondered if Maddie had any idea how lucky she was to have a mother like Rayna, and two men she called 'dad' who were there for her and loved her. She had grown up so much, just in the few years that they had known each other. Now nearly sixteen, the girl had blossomed into a beautiful young woman with both wisdom and talent beyond her years.

Their friendship had grown too, with Maddie a common presence at the house Juliette and Avery had recently purchased just a few blocks from the Jaymes-Conrad household. Though she still had a few more years left in school, she was becoming an amazing artist. It certainly didn't hurt that she hit the genetic lottery when it came to talented parents, but she was making a point to surround herself with other creative people. Juliette loved to sit back and watch Maddie and Avery interact. The younger woman was learning so much about music production and song writing from him, and that knowledge was coming through in her music. Plus, he continually encouraged Maddie to consider college. He would tell her how much he gained from it and reminded her that the best music schools were right there in Nashville, and she was beginning to lean in that direction. Rayna and Teddy were thrilled.

"Be glad she hasn't," Juliette said with a wry grin. She looked over at Emily, who was busy on her iPad. "Will you put that thing away? I told you, you aren't working this trip. This is for fun and you are off the clock."

Emily looked at Juliette, exasperation in her eyes. "But Olga just messaged me about the dresses she pulled and wanted to know if the schedules for the designer meetings were still okay."

"Fine," Juliette said, rolling her eyes and reaching toward her hand outstretched, "Tell her that nothing has changed since I talked to her yesterday and not to bother us again tonight. Then hand over the iPad. No work tonight! Tonight, we have fun!"

Four hours later, the three women were dressed to the nines and seated at the most exclusive restaurant in New York. Juliette and Emily sipped champagne, while Maddie stuck to water, as they all chatted softly.

"So now are you going to tell us what we are doing here?" Emily asked.

"Well, I wanted to bring you both with me to look for dresses because you two are really the only close friends I have, besides Avery of course, but he can't be here. So I value your opinion. Also, I need you guys to...," Juliette paused, eyes darting from one to the other. "... pick out your own dresses. I was hoping that you'd be my maid of honor, Emily, and Maddie, I need a bridesmaid. Will you both do it?"

Maddie squealed, but not loudly enough to be heard at other tables. "Seriously!?"

"What about Avery's sisters?" Emily asked, always the practical one.

"I barely know his two older sisters, and Ada, the only one I considered told me under no uncertain terms would she stand up in front of a crowd for twenty minutes, especially in heels." She raised her eyebrows as she looked back at them. "I want you guys."

Emily and Maddie looked at each other and smiled, nodding.

* * *

_**SPOTTED:** Juliette Barnes hits NYC, with gal pals in tow. The country star was spotted with two friends at the hottest new restaurant in town last night and the group reportedly ended their night by taking in the revival of "West Side Story" on Broadway. Sources say that she will be meeting with designers about a possible wedding dress while visiting the Big Apple. Among those being considered are Vera Wang, Carolina Herarra and Versace. Time will tell what she chooses, but it will undoubtedly be country chic!_

* * *

They got back to their suite a few hours later, after taking in a Broadway show that they all agreed was amazing. All Emily wanted was a shower, Maddie went to call her mother like she had promised she would do, and Juliette was left alone in the beautiful living room, looking out over the city. She smiled to herself as she picked up her phone and hit speed dial. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Hey, babe."

She couldn't help but grin at the sound of his voice. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Watching the Titans get their asses handed to them yet again," he said as his friends suddenly got loud because of a play on the field.

"You aren't even a big football fan."

"I watch football ... A buddy of Deacon's offered his stadium suite, so he decided to make it guys night and invited Gunnar and Will too." He turned and walked away from the other men a bit, lowering his voice for privacy. "Plus it beats staying at the house alone with you gone. I miss you."

Juliette giggled slightly. "Miss you too."

"How's the dress shopping going?" he inquired, not wanting to sound too interested, though he admitted to himself that he really could not wait to see her walking toward him in a white gown. It was something that for so long he wasn't sure they would ever get to, but it was finally happening.

Back in New York, she stretched out on the plush chaise lounge. "Haven't started. We've got some meetings with a few designers about it tomorrow morning. Of course if its anything like tonight has been, photographers will be following us up and down Fifth Avenue tomorrow."

She could almost see his brow furrowing in concern. "Has is been bad?"

"Not too bad," she said, casually flipping her stilettos off her feet. "They are keeping a reasonable distance. I was mostly worried about Maddie, but she is handling it like a pro. I just hate that people are so interested." Juliette chuckled as a thought came to her mind. "You'll appreciate this. One of the photographers asked what it was like being the Beyonce and JayZ of Country."

"Seriously?"

The blonde nodded, and laughed. "Apparently we are a power couple now."

"At least they haven't put our names together yet."

She burst out laughing. "Ugh! I hope they don't. I hate those things."

The conversation continued another few minutes, until he could hear sleepiness wearing into her voice. A soft private good night and he returned to find Deacon and Gunnar still glued to the last few seconds of the game. Will had walked out of the room a few moments earlier. The final buzzer of the game sounded and the two men still in their seats groaned in frustration.

"That game sucked."

"At least the suite was nice."

"Did you guys really expect them to win against the super bowl champs," Avery childed his two friends. He ignored the glares they both shot his way. "Hey, I've got a question for your guys. Juliette asked Emily and Maddie to be her Maid of Honor and bridesmaid. So that means I need some groomsman. How about it?"

Gunnar and Deacon looked at each other in surprise.

"I'm in," Gunnar said, standing to shake Avery's hand.

Deacon followed suit. "Me too." The older man raised his bottle of water. "Here's to one of the most complicated couples I've ever known. May the next fifty or sixty years be filled with love, compromise, and since you are marrying Juliette Barnes, a whole lot of patience." Two beer bottles clinked with Deacon's water and all three men laughed. "Seriously, man, you guys are great together. I couldn't be happier for you two. If anyone can keep her grounded it's you."

"Thanks, man."

* * *

_**BOYS NIGHT OUT:** The McGraws and the Urbans weren't the only big names taking in the Titans loss last night. Rising country superstar Will Lexington was spotted along with legendary singer-songwriter Deacon Clayborne, songwriter Gunnar Scott and producer/songwriter (and soon-to-be Mr. Juliette Barnes) Avery Barkley. The quartet of devilishly handsome men took in the game inside a luxury suite and seemed to be enjoying themselves, though at one point Barkley was spotted away from the game on the phone with a smile on his face. This gossip guru can only imagine that he was chatting with his lovely fiance, who was on a girls trip to NYC._

* * *

Rayna's house was decorated to the nines and filled from doorway to doorway with 150 or so of Juliette and Avery's closest friends and family. The pouring rain outside kept the party from spilling out onto the patio, and the great room was beginning to feel a bit like a game of sardines. Juliette looked across toward the kitchen and spotted Avery talking to Will Lexington and Gunnar. Their eyes met and he winked at her, causing her heart to flutter just a little bit. She smiled back and couldn't help but laugh at the fact that this was somehow her life. Somehow she was here celebrating her engagement to the most amazing person and she was undeniably happy. How had that happened?

"Bad news."

That was more like it. She turned to her left to find Emily bouncing nervously beside her, the everpresent iPhone in her hand. "You are not seriously going to give me bad news right now."

"Sorry, but you need to hear this," the brunette said, clearly anxious about spilling whatever news was on the phone.

"Fine." Juliette grabbed the lead the other woman away from the center of the room in case things were really, really bad. She braced herself as she asked. "What is it?"

"TMZ is reporting the time and place of the wedding."

Juliette chuckled and shook her head. "They've been doing that for six months. They haven't been right yet."

"They are now."

"What?!" Juliette grabbed Emily's phone and sure enough, plastered on the website was pretty much every detail of her well planned nuptials. "Shit."

"Yeah. Paparazzi is going to go crazy, aren't they."

"Why should anything be different now," she mumbled, taking a deep breath to compose herself. She looked around the room, trying to figure how to fix this latest fame-induced dilemma, when it hit her. It was the perfect solution. Now she just had to get Avery to agree. Searching around, she found him in deep conversation with his friends. "Don't let anyone leave," she muttered over her shoulder to Emily as she wove her way through the crowd toward her fiance.

She barely slowed down as she approached him, just long enough to grab his arm and tug him away from the conversation, with a polite, "Excuse us for a second." Avery's sputtered protests continued as she pulled him into the hallway that lead to the master bedroom. She paused and turned to face him.

Avery's brow was furrowed, clearly uncertain as to what brought on Juliette's actions. "What's going on? I was in the middle of something."

"I'm sorry. But this couldn't wait." She looked back toward the party, making sure no one followed them. "They've got it."

"Got what?" he asked, confusion marring his voice.

"The wedding. The date, time, place, even that Maddie and Emily are wearing Ralph Lauren dresses!" she ranted. "Someone spilled the info and now the wedding is going to turn into a circus."

For his part, Avery was fighting the urge to get angry. The last thin he needed was a reason for her to back out. He knew that her insecurities were still vulnerable and he didn't need anything to make her second guess this wedding or their life together ... especially the damn paparazzi. "Who would do that?"

"Who knows," she said, shrugging. "The planner's assistant? The mailman? I have no idea. But regardless, they have it."

Placing his hands on his hips, he paced slightly, before asking what he knew could be a loaded question. "What do you want to do? Postpone?"

She saw the mild panic appear on his face. She smiled and moved closer to him and shook her head no. "Just the opposite actually." His forehead wrinkled in confusion as she took his hands in hers and leaned in close to him. "I may sound crazy, but let's do it now. Tonight."

"You mean like elope?"

She shook her head. "No. Let's have the wedding here."

"What?! You're crazy, Juliette," but the laughter in his voice told her that he could be convinced.

"Think about it. Rayna is storing my dress, and Maddie's and Emily's upstairs," she said, excitement filling her voice. "You guys are already in suits. We've already gotten the marriage license. All of our friends and family are right here in this room."

He still wasn't quite convinced. "Who's going to perform the ceremony?"

"I don't know!" She thought quick, desperate to get him on board. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to be his wife. The sooner the better. Um, the mayor of the city is here. That should work, right?"

"I guess ..." he said, hesistating only slightly. He looked at her, sincerity in his eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want? What about your plans?"

"My plan was to have a quiet, paparazzi-free wedding. Clearly, that's not going to happen," she added. She moved closer to him, her hands gripping the lapels of his jacket. A coy smile appeared on her face as she looked up at him "What do you say? Wanna marry me tonight?"

Avery laughed at the obsurdity of the moment, but looked down at her with a big grin on his face. "Hell yeah. Let's do it." He leaned down to kiss her, but was stopped by her hand in front of his face. "What?!"

"It's bad luck to kiss the bride before the ceremony," she said, wagging a finger at him.

"You really are crazy."

"But you love me." She grabbed his hand. "Come on. Let's go tell everyone what is going on."

They walked back out into the room where everyone was mingling. They were met by Rayna, Gunnar and Deacon.

"There you two are! We are ready to do the toast. We couldn't find you!"

Juliette looked at her boss and friend apologetically. "Sorry, Rayna. Before the toasts get started, can we say something?"

"It's your party."

It took a minute, but eventually Juliette and Avery stood in front of the grand piano hand in hand and looked out into the crowd of well wishers prepared for an engagement toast. She looked over at him and he nodded for her to go ahead. "We wanted to thank everyone for coming to celebrate with us. It means so much to have your support. It's been a long road to get here. Now, I know that you are all excited about the wedding next weekend, but we wanted to let you know that there has been a change of plans." An audible gasp was heard throughout the crowd and the guests began to mumble amongst themselves.

Eventually Juliette was able to pull the attention back to her. "It's not what you think. We are still getting married. Apparently a gossip site got a hold of all the details of the event, despite every effort to stop that. So we are just changing the time and the place so that the ceremony will not be interrupted by photographers and heliocopters ... We are going to do this right here. Right now. So don't anyone leave. Give me half an hour to get changed and then we're going to have a wedding. And please, no one call TMZ."

Surprise echoed around the room.

Rayna's eyes grew wide and she walked over to the couple. "This house isn't ready for a wedding!"

Juliette placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's beautiful, Rayna, it's perfect. Please we don't want to wait."

"If you are sure it's okay ... what do you need me to do?" The redhead could hardly hide her excitement as Avery's parent's as well as Gunnar, Deacon, Maddie and Emily were suddenly beside them.

"Could you see if Teddy will perform the ceremony?" Juliette asked. "We've got the marriage license already. The mayor has to be as good as the Justice of the Peace, right?"

"I'm on it. And we'll get some sort of aisle ready. Don't worry about a thing down here. I've got it covered."

Avery's mother hugged him with tears in her eyes then did the same with Juliette. "I like this. I'm glad you are doing it this way. We are so excited to have you as another daughter, Juliette." She fought tears as she hugged the older woman again and caught a glimpse of a smile on his father's face behind his mother. She'd never really seen that before. She took it as acceptance.

"Thank you, Felicia," she said, suddenly realizing that she was about to get married without her own mother. She swallowed the lump that was threatening to move into her throat. "Will you come help me get ready? Maybe Ada wants to come too?" she looked over at her soon-to-be sister in law who had just walked over. "We're going to need help to get ourselves together in 25 minutes."

Avery's twin immediately jumped into action. "Come on ladies, let's get moving. We've got a wedding to get ready for." The tiny brunette began to herd the bride, bridal party and mother of the groom upstairs where the gowns were waiting. As they disappeared around the corner and Avery turned to face everyone else.

"Are you seriously going to do this?" Gunnar couldn't help but ask.

"I guess so," he said, huge grin on his face.

The next twenty minutes were a blur. Rayna had gone into full on wedding planner mode. Teddy had immediately agreed to perform the ceremony, though he admitted he'd never done it before. He quickly disappeared into the office to work on it. Zoey and Scarlett, along with Avery's two older sisters, jumped in and began to rearrange the room, which was no small feat in a room already filled with more than 100 people. Daphne had been tasked with pulling all the white roses out of the lush bouquets that had been placed around the room for the party so that Juliette would have something to carry down the aisle. Rayna had recruited a guest to play the Wedding March (living in a town full of musicians had its advantages) and another guest who happened to be a top photographer in town to grab his equipment from his car. For their part, Deacon and Gunnar, along with Will, were essentially useless, aside from keeping Avery occupied, as they all stood off to the side for a beer toast.

Eventually, Glenn appeared at Rayna's side and together they climbed the stairs to check on the bride. Stepping inside they both had their breath taken away.

Juliette stood beside her soon-to-be mother in law, watching her reflection in the mirror. The ivory fitted gown, covered in vintage french lace, elegantly cascaded into a small train. Someone had pulled her hair into a loose bun, pinning it with a pearl and diamond clip. She looked like she had stepped out of a magazine.

"You look beautiful, Juliette," Rayna said with a smile, as she looked over at her own daughter, who suddenly looked more grown up than ever in the pale blue gown.

Glenn couldn't do anything but hug her. Words wouldn't come.

Back downstairs, the guests waited for the bride to appear as they gathered around the large windows in Rayna's great room. Outside, the rain continued and lightning flashed in the distance, but paired with the soft amber lighting that was in place for the party, the atmosphere was distinctly romantic. Avery, Gunnar, Deacon and Teddy had made their way to the front of the group, while the others stood in the surrounding area.

When Rayna, then Avery's mom and sister appeared in the back of the room, everyone got quiet. The three women walked over to the front of the room. The piano suddenly rang out the beginning notes of the Wedding March as Maddie appeared at the end of the makeshift aisle. Avery looked over at Deacon and then over at Teddy and couldn't help but wonder if he would ever get the chance to show that much pride in a child. Both men were glowing as the young woman stood up there smiling at both of them. Emily soon joined her.

A soft, audible gasp spread through the room as Juliette and Glenn appeared in the archway, but Avery couldn't see her until they moved from behind the standing guests.

His breath caught in his throat and he fought the tears threatening to well in his eyes. He knew he had never seen anything, anyone so beautiful. As she walked toward him, he committed the moment to memory, knowing that no picture or video would truly be able to capture how he felt. Their eyes met and it felt so right to be getting married like this. He could tell that she felt the same. He had never seen her so secure, so self-assured. She didn't have a doubt and he could read that all over her face. This was it ... for both of them ... forever.

* * *

**_Juliette Barnes and Avery Barkley tie the knot in super secret ceremony_**

_She made it to the altar this time! Juliette Barnes is a married woman._

_She and producer fiance Avery Barkley were married in a ceremony Saturday night at the home of Rayna Jaymes. The couple was surrounded by 150 guests._

_The bride wore an original gown by a Nashville designer who worked with the singer to create a unique and elegant creation. The bridal party, which included Rayna's eldest daughter Maddie Conrad and Juliette's_

_assistant, wore pale blue silk Ralph Lauren gowns._

_The couple released a photo to the media, an elegant black and white picture, which shows the pair sharing a kiss under a covered patio while rain poured down behind them._

_A wedding ceremony was reportedly planned for next weekend at a plantation outside of Nashville, but sources say that security concerns caused the pair to change their plans._

_Rayna, the head of Juliette's record label, released the following statement: "We are so excited to have been a part of this amazing couple's love story. Highway 65 wishes Juliette and Avery the best and asks that_

_the public respect their privacy as they begin this new chapter of their lives."_

_No word on where the Barnes-Barkleys plan to honeymoon._

* * *

_Chapter 3 may be my favorite of this story, so you guys can look forward to that. Until then I would love to hear your reviews._


	3. Chapter 3

**Through the Photographer's Lens**

So this is the final chapter. Hope you enjoy it. It's been a lot of fun to write, just because its a much happier story, compared to where they left us at the end of season 2. Though this chapter does veer slightly into the drama/angsty category ... but it's very short lived.

Callie, ABC, et al, still own everything.

Love to hear what you think! So please review. Now, for the cuteness...

* * *

Juliette loved this time of the day. Just after 7am, she could walk around the grocery store in old sweats, a tshirt and her hair in a messy ponytail and not be bothered. She didn't always do her own grocery shopping, but over the years she had found it to be therapeutic. There wasn't a lot of domesticity in her life, with all the touring and recording ... it could be a whirlwind. But then there were times like this when she and Avery had a few weeks in Nashville with no awards shows, no publicity, no touring schedule, no photographers following her around. It was a time she had learned to cherish. As she moved from aisle to aisle, she smiled anonymously at the few passers by, then they smiled back and then went on their way. It was a reason she loved this city.

Glancing down at her cart, she was nearly satisfied with her purchases which included a good bit of junk food she only allowed herself to indulge in every once in a while. She rolled her eyes as she picked up a package of Oreo cookies, knowing they were her husband's favorites, and that he would likely eat half of the cookies in one sitting. And of course never gain an ounce. Even after three years of marriage, she had no idea how he did that.

Walking toward the front of the store, she passed the magazine rack. Usually, she didn't even glance in that direction, but as she passed, one tabloid in particular grabbed her attention. She told herself to keep moving, but her curiosity got the better of her. She looked back over at the rack and there on the glossy magazine was a photo of her and Avery walking around LA the week before. She was in a particularly loose sundress. The headline read 'Juliette Barnes: Baby on Board!'

She bit her lip. It wasn't the first time they had written these stories. But this was the first time she saw it in print in public for the world to see. And it was humiliating.

Abandoning her full cart on the empty aisle, she walked to the front of the store and quickly exited though the automatic doors. It was all she could do to make it to the car before she lost her composure. As soon as the door to the SUV was locked, her countenance broke. She dissolved into sobs as she threw her purse across the passenger seat, dumping it's contents into the floorboard. The mess only made the cries intensify and the only thing she could do was lay her head on the steering wheel and just let her emotions flow out for a while.

Eventually she calmed down enough to drive the ten minutes back to their house. As she entered she heard the sound of music coming from their basement studio. Not wanting to interrupt Avery, and really in no mood to talk, she slumped down on the sofa, curled into a ball and pulled out her phone.

Avery emerged from the basement a while later to find her in that same position, tears still falling down her face.

"Baby, what happened?" Concern covered his face as he knelt down next to her and began to wipe away the teardrops from her face. "You were just going to the store. It couldn't have been that terrible. Were they out of Oreos?"

He was trying to lighten the mood, she knew, but she felt as though a cloud had descended over her. She tried to fake a giggle but knew that it came out less than convincing. "I'm sorry. Nothing really happened. I just ..." she paused and shook her head. "There was this magazine ..."

He groaned and rolled his eyes, taking her hand in his. "Juliette, we swore we wouldn't ever look at those. God knows what kind of trash those things will say."

"I'm sorry," she sniffled as she wiped more moisture from her face. "I didn't mean to, but it was right there. For the world to see."

"What is it this time?" he asked with eyebrows raised. She could tell he was frustrated. He never wanted this kind of attention. He preferred being behind the scenes, the creative smarts behind half of the hit albums coming out of Nashville, both country and otherwise. Even after their years together, he still wasn't entirely comfortable with the glare of the media spotlight. There were times that she wasn't either. "Are we getting a divorce? Am I cheating on you? What is it this time?"

She shook her head. "Nothing like that. It just said I was pregnant," she said sadly.

He sighed, knowing that the topic at hand was even worse for her than the scandalous rumors about infidelity or separation would be. She knew those were false and would never give them a second thought. Avery moved to sit beside her on the couch, immediately wrapping her in his arms. "I'm so sorry."

"I shouldn't have, but I looked online and read the story," she said, burying her face into his shirt. She handed him her phone so he could read it.

* * *

_It looks like the Nashville mansion of superstar Juliette Barnes and her mega producer husband Avery Barkley will soon be filled with the sound of lullabies instead of the next country hit._

_Sources tell us exclusively that Juliette is four months pregnant with the couple's first child._

_These pictures from last week seem to confirm the sources, as she was spotted with what appears to be a slight baby bump. Celebrity watchers have been on bump watch for these two since the pair wed in a secret ceremony more than three years ago. Now it appears the rumors are true._

_Another Nashville source says that the baby is a girl. Close family friend Rayna Jaymes is said to be in baby shower planning mode, preparing for a massive party for the mommy-to-be. The event will likely take place in June and the space will be decked out in pink and ivory from top to bottom._

_The couple is said to be thrilled about their upcoming addition and have already started working on the nursery. And Juliette is planning an epidural-free childbirth, already consulting several doulas and natural childbirth experts. They are even considering a home birth, though sources say the couple is still undecided._

_For more on this story see our print edition._

* * *

"I'm so sorry." It was all he could say in the moment, his heart breaking for her and their situation all over again.

She snuggled even closer into him and closed her eyes. "How did this happen, Avery? I never even wanted children until I met you, and now ... knowing it probably won't ever happen ... Are people going to speculate like this until I'm fifty?"

He sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead, thinking back to the day that her newest dream had been shattered. It was soon after Scarlett and Gunnar had welcomed their first child, a beautiful blonde haired blue eyed little girl named Emma, that Juliette finally had become willing to discuss starting a family with him. He knew that it was the fear of becoming her mother that had made her avoid the topic before, even though she knew he wanted a family. But after holding little Emma in the hospital, she knew that she wanted one of her own. A part of her and Avery. Unfortunately, after trying for months without results, her doctor ran some tests and then sadly broke the news to her that conception was highly unlikely. Even with invitro, the chances were only slightly higher, if at all.

She had been devastated and threw herself back into work, focusing only on getting her next album done in record time. And it was a passionate, powerful record that was dominating the charts, but Avery worried about her the whole time they were making it. She said she was fine, but he knew she was merely distracting herself from the reality. He tried to talk to her about surrogacy or adoption, but she couldn't even discuss it. Wouldn't discuss it, at the very least. It became a topic they just avoided. He knew it wasn't healthy for their relationship and it would come up again, but he knew that she needed time.

But now she was opening up again. Thanks to that stupid magazine.

"No, they won't. We can still have a family, Juliette," he whispered into her ear.

She stilled in his arms. "Avery ... I'm not ready to talk about other options. I want our baby," she said stubbornly, a pout evident on her lips.

"I know," he said softly, as she curled into him and wept softly.

* * *

The sound of the doorbell was unexpected.

It was the morning after the CMA Awards, and no one in Nashville, at least no one they knew, would be up at 7am. Most hadn't even gone to bed until after 3 am. For their part, Juliette and Avery had been at Vince Gill's after party until 2 o'clock in the morning before they finally decided to call it a night. It had been a great one, too. Juliette most recent album won for album of the year, so she got to accept it with her producer, who of course was also her husband. She smiled as she looked down at him still sound asleep, completely oblivious of the sound coming from the front door. She rolled her eyes and moved to grab her robe from a nearby chair. She nearly tripped over the stunning blue Rheem Acra dress she'd worn the night before, which was draped off the end of the bed, as she made her way down the stairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she yelled as the persistent ringing continued. She pulled open the heavy door and was surprised to find her sister-in-law standing in front of her.

"Ada!" she said as she moved to hug her husband's twin sister. "What are you-" Her words stopped as she backed out of the hug to confirm what she thought she felt. Sure enough, a baby bump. A large, very pregnant belly graced Ada's typically petite figure. "Oh my God! You're pregnant?!" she said, jaw gaping open with surprise.

"I am."

The sound of footsteps could be heard on the staircase. This was going to be bad ... Juliette braced herself. Avery had always been protective of his youngest sister. Ada saw him too as he rounded the corner. "Hey little brother!"

"Ada?! What the hell are you doing in town? Why didn't you let us know?" He looked at her as he said it, and froze when he saw her belly. "You're pregnant?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Both Ada and Juliette rolled their eyes at him. His sister moved closer to him. "Well, Avery, if I have to explain it to you ..."

He shook his head in frustration. "Not what I mean. Who's the father?"

"Not sure," she shrugged.

"You're not ... " he began to pace a little bit in an attempt to calm his nerves. "You're not sure?"

"No," she said matter-of-factly. "And I swear I will tell you all about it, but first, I really have to pee."

Juliette stepped back as Ada dropped her bag in the foyer and rushed to the nearest bathroom. For a minute Avery just looked at his wife with shock on his face. She walked over to him and put her arms around his waist. "You need to stay calm. She is a grown woman who makes her own decisions."

"She always has been a little ... unconventional," he said, shaking his head again. He looked down at Juliette with concern on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I can be around pregnant women, Avery. Just because it's not going to happen for me doesn't mean I can't be happy for her." She forced a smile onto her face, though he looked completely unconvinced. "Come on. Coffee," she said, leading him into the kitchen where she began to prepare a pot of the hot caffeinated liquid. Ada soon joined them, hoisting herself up on to the bar stool at the granite bar next to her brother as Juliette kept herself distracted with her task.

"Look, Avery, I love that you are worried about me." Ada began. "I do. But I'm an adult. I'm 30 years old, which you should know, since we have the same birthday. You know I don't believe in monogamy. It could be a few different guys, all great guys, but it doesn't matter because I'm ... not keeping it."

His eyebrows raised. "You're not?"

"No," she said shaking her head, long ponytail swaying from side to side. "I can't be a mother. Not with the life I lead. One day I am in one city, the next I'm on another continent. I want to spend the next two years trekking through South America, studying ancient tribes. I just received my grant to do it and I can't turn it down. I'm an anthropologist. It's what I do. I can't strap a baby on my back and do that. Which is ... why I am here." She paused and looked across the bar at Juliette, a plea in her eyes. "I want you two to raise him."

"Ada ..." Avery said through gritted teeth, knowing that this was going to be painful for his wife. For her part, Juliette was frozen in place, eyes unable to look up from the coffee pot in her hands.

Ada held up her hand, halting her brother's words. "Please, hear me out. Mom told me. She told me what the doctor told you guys. About it being ... unlikely ... for you," she continued with a sigh. "I was three days away from terminating the pregnancy. But I couldn't go through with it, not knowing that you guys wanted a baby so badly. I tried to get here sooner, to find out if this would be okay with you, but things kept coming up. I've taken care of myself. The doctor says that he is healthy."

Avery's stare had moved from his sister to his wife, who still couldn't look up.

"I know it's a lot, and you guys need to talk about it. Don't feel like you have to say yes. I've already been working with an adoption agency and they have several families that would take him. But I hope you will consider it." Her hand subconsciously moved on her belly and she smiled at the movement she felt there. "Look, I would love to be cool Aunt Ada for this little guy. I just can't be Mommy. And Juliette, I think you'd make a great one. Just think about it. Discuss it." She slipped off the stool and yawned slightly. "I'm exhausted so I'll go lay down in the guest room."

Without another word, she disappeared out of the kitchen and left her brother and sister in law in silence. For a moment, neither of them said a word. Then Juliette looked up and met his eyes. There were tears streaming down her face.

Avery quickly got up and walked around to her, wrapping her in his arms. "I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't know she was going to throw this at us. I know it's not what you want ..."

"Maybe it is," she whispered so quietly he thought he misunderstood her words.

He looked down at her with surprise on his face. "What?"

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and took in a deep breath. "Maybe I was too quick to dismiss adoption. We've been trying for nearly two years, and it's not happening. It probably won't. And this child is a part of your ... of our family. How can we just let him go to some unknown place with unknown people who might or might not care about him. Maybe this is how it's supposed to be."

Working hard to keep any sign of excitement off his face, he placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to her eye level. "You know we don't have to do this."

She sighed and a smile washed over her face. "Avery, when I hugged your sister earlier, I felt him kick. That was the first thing I felt. Not her bump. The kick. It was like he was saying 'Here I am! I'm right here!' I know what I've said before, but I want this. It feels right."

"You really want to do this?" He had to give her one more opportunity to back out.

She nodded, a genuine smile gracing her face. One to match it appeared on his and he wrapped her into a hug and lifted her off the ground.

* * *

_Could the rumors be true this time? Juliette Barnes and Avery Barkley were spotted in the baby section of a Nashville department store Thursday afternoon._

_An eagle eyed celebrity spotter posted a photo of the two piling clothes and toys into a cart to twitter._

_No comment has been made by Barnes' publicist, and there was no sign of a baby bump in the photos, which show the superstar sporting a slim, toned tummy in a fitted tshirt and jeans._

_Word is however that the couple's friends Gunnar and Scarlett Scott are expecting their second child in the spring, so maybe that baby is the recipient of the Barnes/Barkley shopping spree._

_Time will tell._

* * *

"What do you think of the name Joseph?"

Avery looked up from the instructions he was reading to look at his wife who was sitting in the recently delivered rocking chair with a book of baby names in her hand. He smiled at the glow she had about her.

In the three weeks since his sister had shown up on their doorstep, Juliette had stepped into the role of mother-to-be with an ease that surprised him. She was more than ready for this and he chided himself for worrying. She had dived into decorating the nursery and making sure they had everything they needed, and she had done so with near complete secrecy, with the one exception of that twitter photo that made it to the gossip sites. But that never amounted to much. The only ones who knew about this were the three of them, a doctor and a lawyer. They would tell close friends and family immediately after the baby was born and then keep it out of the public as long as possible.

He shrugged from his spot on the floor. "Joseph is nice, I guess."

"You don't really like it?" She could tell by the under-enthused tone in his voice that he wasn't crazy about the name. She'd heard that tone many time since they had started working on picking out a name for the baby. They couldn't agree on anything.

"It just doesn't seem quite right," he responded.

She flipped back the pages, running her finger down the list, and pausing at ones she thought were possibilities."Bryce?"

"Bryce Barnes Barkley? Too much alliteration."

"Hmm... right." She bit her lip as she watched him struggle to put the crib together, trying not to laugh. He had been on the floor with the pile of various wooden pieces for the better part of an hour and hadn't made much progress. "You know, Gunnar can keep a secret, and he's done this a couple of times. I'm sure if you called him ..."

"I'll get it done," he stubbornly interrupted her before she could continue. "I have to do it. It's like a right of passage for a dad, right?"

She couldn't help but laugh out loud as he looked around for one part or another, clearly completely out of his element. Tossing the book onto the nearby table, she moved to the floor beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him softly. "I like the sound of that. 'Dad'. It works for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh," she nodded, a smile covering her face. She pressed another kiss to his lips and slowly moved onto his lap. The kiss deepened and would have gone even further, but footsteps in the hall and the clearing of a throat put the moment on hold.

"Uh, guys."

The sound of Ada's voice in the nursery doorway quickly ended the moment. They turned and looked over at her as she leaned against the door frame with a strange look on her face. "Sorry to interrupt this little make out session, but um ... how long do you think it will be before the crib is ready?"

"Three hours tops," Avery said.

"By the time the kid's two," Juliette said at the exact same moment. She grinned over at her husband who glared at her.

Ada nodded. "Well, the sooner the better, because my water just broke and I've been having contractions for the last two hours."

Both Avery and Juliette's eyes got wide and they quickly disentangled themselves from each other. It wasn't exactly like the episode of "I Love Lucy" where Little Ricky made his debut, but watching her brother and sister in law run around, grabbing bags and keys and whatever else they thought they needed, Ada decided it was pretty close. It was everything she could do not to burst into laughter, until another contraction hit her.

* * *

"Okay, Ada, Just a few more pushes and we'll get to meet this little guy," the doctor, an older man in his late fifties, said from the end of her bed.

Juliette looked down at her sister in law, fighting the tears springing in her eyes. "You are doing so good, Ada," she said as she dabbed the other woman's head with a cloth, wiping the sweat from her eyes. She glanced over at her husband who had been very quiet since Ada had started pushing an hour before. She couldn't tell if it had to do with seeing his sister in pain, the fact that he was about to become a father, or the amount of blood on the floor that he was not prepared for. He looked a little green, and both women were a little concerned that he might pass out. But he continued to hold Ada's hand as she bore down and worked feverishly to deliver the baby.

The doctor looked up at Juliette and Avery with a smile. "Next push should do it. You want to see?" Juliette looked back at Ada, who smiled her approval.

When Juliette looked over at Avery, he immediately began to shake his head. "No thanks."

"It's your son!" She hissed at him quietly, though everyone in the room could hear.

But he stood firmly in place. "She's still my sister! I don't need to see ... that."

She glared at him, but let it go. "Fine," she said as she moved to watch their son enter the world.

One final push and a high pitched scream broke through the room. "Here he is!" The doctor held the baby up so that they could see the little boy who was clearly annoyed to be pushed out of his warm environment. Juliette, Avery and Ada all three had tears in their eyes as the doctor cut the cord and wiped him down. He looked up at Ada and asked, "Would you like to hold him?"

Ada shook her head. "His mother should," she said, gesturing at Juliette.

Juliette forced back more tears as the doctor handed over the wiggling child, who stopped crying the moment he was put into her arms. She gently rubbed a finger over his tiny nose and looked back up over to where Avery and Ada watched her. She bit back a sob as she smiled at them. She walked toward them and Avery let go of his sister's hand as he moved to see his son up close for the first time.

From her spot on the bed, Ada watched as her brother moved beside his wife and leaned over to see the child who was theirs forever, and it felt right. They were their own family and she was just a bystander, and it was exactly the way it was supposed to be. As she looked on, Juliette handed the child over to Avery. Juliette then looked up at Ada and mouthed the words "Thank You."

Ada responded simply with a smile and a nod.

* * *

It had been a week since they had brought their son home from the hospital, and they were settling into life as a family of three with ease.

Avery walked back in the door after dropping his sister off at the airport for her trip to Buenos Aires.

Walking into the great room, he saw an image that he wanted to commit to memory forever. With a fire roaring in the nearby fireplace, Juliette stood at the large window holding little Samuel and watching the snow flurries falling softly to the ground outside. She was singing something, though it was so soft he couldn't quite make out the words. Walking further into the room he saw the recently delivered Christmas tree still waiting to be decorated and boxes of decorations and trim stacked into a corner.

Finally she heard footsteps and turned toward him. "Hey! You got Ada on her plane?"

"Yep," he nodded. "She said she'd send Christmas presents from Argentina."

Juliette smiled and looked down at the little boy snuggled in her arms. "She already gave us our present. I think he counts for a couple of decades worth, at least," she said, laughter playing on her lips. She sat down on the couch and her husband soon joined her, taking the baby from her. As he lifted the child up over his head, playing the game that never failed to bring giggles out, she couldn't believe how much they looked alike. It was a blessing she would be forever grateful for. "Be careful, he just ate."

Avery looked over at her, remembering the one time he hadn't heeded that advice, with a grimace. He quickly lowered Samuel down to his lap, not wanting to recreate the great spit up explosion from three days before.

Juliette stretched out next to him, only slightly grateful for an opportunity to rest her arms. In his first few weeks of life, Samuel had let it be known that he had a demanding streak, and he demanded to be held. Avery teased her that he got that part of his personality from her. "Rayna and the girls came by while you were out."

Avery laughed and bounced the baby on his lap. "Already charming the ladies, isn't he. They can't get enough of him, can they?"

"Well, that and Maddie wanted us to hear some of the new demos she just finished." Avery was preparing to help Rayna's oldest daughter record her debut album. Juliette pointed to the kitchen. "She left the thumb drive on the counter. I think she wanted your opinion more than mine. But I listened and they are great. You're going to have trouble deciding what will go on the record."

"Good problem to have," he said. "I'll listen to them in a little while."

Juliette hesitated, not really wanting to bring up the real reason for her label chief's visit. But she couldn't put it off any longer. Taking a deep breath, she brought up the topic that she knew he didn't want to discuss. "Also Rayna wanted to talk about when all this will break in the media."

Rolling his eyes, Avery shook his head. "Ugh. Does it have to?"

"Eventually we will have to leave the house and someone will get a photo of us with Samuel and we don't want people thinking we stole a baby," She said, a tinge of humor threading through her voice.

"They won't think that."

"I know, but I'm making a point. Rayna's right. If we don't beat them to the punch, the paparazzi is going to have a feeding frenzy trying to find out about this mystery baby that magically moved in. She suggested a very simple announcement on my website with one photo, followed by a short news release with a few more details. Since we aren't going out on the road until summer, it should work out fine." She looked over at him, seeing hesitation in his eyes. He didn't want to do any of it. She knew if he had his way that they would never tell anyone anything. But the reality was that they couldn't keep a child a secret. "She said it should wait until after the first of the year. That gives us a few more weeks of just us."

"That doesn't sound too bad," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "If we have to do it, I guess it's as good as any. I just wish we didn't have to."

"We can't pretend in public that he doesn't exist, Avery." She moved closer to him, and watched as the child in his arms finally began to doze off. They just sat and watched him breathe for a moment before Juliette continued quietly. "I know you want to protect him, and us, and I love you for that. But the longer we hide it, the crazier things will get. We just have to protect him from the spotlight as best we can. He didn't choose this lifestyle, we did. I don't want to punish him for my decisions. I want his life to be as normal as possible. Whatever that means."

Nodding his agreement, Avery smiled over at her and placed a kiss to her forehead. Neither could help but think about, despite the glow of the spotlight being overwhelming at times, how lucky they were to be living this life together.

* * *

_It's a Boy for Juliette Barnes and Avery Barkley_

_After months - make that years- of speculation, Juliette Barnes announced on her website today that she and husband and producer Avery Barkley welcomed a son into their family. The brief statement on the site read: "Juliette and Avery are thrilled to announce the birth of their son Samuel Barnes Barkely born on December 2." A photo of the couple and their son was posted along with the message._

_A press release sent out by Barnes' publicist states that the boy was adopted by the couple, who were present at the time of his delivery at a Nashville hospital. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 21 inches long._

_The child was kept secret for more than a month and the pair gave no clues that they had recently become parents when Juliette performed on the Christmas show at the Grand Old Opry the week before the holiday. The only hint may have been the speed at which the couple left the event._

_A source says that the family will spend the rest of the winter and into the spring adjusting to life as a trio and will then hit the road together when Juliette's tour kicks off in June._

_Congratulations to the Barnes Barkley Family!_

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